


A Reel Attraction

by ChibiYoda



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Fluff, M/M, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, This Is My Ship and It Has Wrecked Me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-11 23:37:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4456889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiYoda/pseuds/ChibiYoda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Along with his other businesses, Tony happens to own a little cinema. Bruce has just returned to the States and wanders in, looking for a job.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Reel Attraction

Tony peered over the paper in his hand to glance at the man sitting on the other side of his desk. He could tell that the guy didn’t have a lot of money, but he at least tried to dress appropriately for a job interview. If it was for one of his other businesses, it would have made a difference. But for this establishment, the guy seemed to fit right in.

He turned his eyes back to the application. “How in the world did you end up doing projection work in, of all places, India and Brazil?”

Bruce shifted slightly in his chair. “I’ve been…traveling. I learned the trade in India, and enjoyed it. It’s not a common skill set, so I’ve been able to put it to use in other places.”

“You’re right about that. There aren’t many true projectionists out there.” Tony set the application down. “So are you still…traveling, or are you staying put for a while? I need someone I can count on for at least six months, but preferably longer.”

Bruce thought it over. He’d been progressing in his ability to control his temper. He hadn’t had an outburst in months. And even with that last one, the amount of property damage he’d caused at the apartment where he’d been living at the time was minimal. He was able to patch up and repaint the wall, and replace the hinges on the door himself. He was out of money, with nowhere to go. He could do six months. Probably. “I think I’ve seen enough of the world for a while. It’s nice to be back home.”

Tony tapped his pen against the desk in an irregular beat, as he tried to size-up the man across from him. “Mmmhmm. Well I can’t exactly call India and Brazil for references, so how about we go upstairs and you can show me that you really know how to use the equipment.”

“Fair enough.” Bruce managed a small smile.

 

The men left Tony’s office and walked through the lobby toward the door that led up to the projection booth. Along the way staff members would call out greetings to Mr. Stark. High school and college students, for the most part. It was a weekday afternoon so there wasn’t much going on. Maybe he had one or two too many on-duty right now, and maybe he paid them a bit more than was necessary for the type of work they did, but Tony liked these kids, and he wanted to help them out a little.

 

Tony and Bruce climbed the stairs to the booth. Booth seems like an odd word for an area that takes up the entire second floor of the building. This cinema had just six screens. Small when compared to the multiplexes usually found in the U.S., but grand in comparison to the little one or two screen theaters that Bruce had worked in.

“Just out of curiosity, why do you still have film?” Bruce questioned. “The places that I’ve been couldn’t afford to upgrade to digital projectors. But surely you have the ability.” Bruce had heard of Stark. Most people had. Tony was a genius, and a successful businessman, but he wasn’t known for having any ties to the film industry.

Tony was a little impressed that Bruce knew who he was, and that he wasn’t afraid to call him out on it. “Quite simply, I like film. I don’t mean movies, although I like movies too, who doesn’t. I’m talking about actual film.” Tony grabbed a piece of film that was half hanging out from a wastebasket. “This stuff. It has a certain elegance to it, and it takes a person with finesse to handle it. It’s a medium that’s been around for over 100 years, basically unchanged. And it’s fast going the way of the dinosaur. I’m just trying to hang on to it as long as possible.”

Bruce was genuinely surprised by Tony’s sentiment. He would never have expected a guy like him to be so nostalgic over something like this. Frankly, he imagined he would be an arrogant jerk.

“Okay Big Guy, let’s see what you can do.”

Bruce wasn’t sure how he felt about the nickname, but he proceeded to demonstrate his abilities. A couple of movies had recently ended, so Bruce went ahead and threaded the film through the projectors in preparation for their next showtime.

Next, Tony directed Bruce to a couple of film cans. Inside were reels of film that needed to be connected together, or “built up”. Bruce gathered the materials and equipment he needed to perform the task, and began.

It was evident that Bruce did indeed know what he was doing. But even more telling was the way he handled the film. Tony knows well that you can teach a person the steps in running a projector, or building a film print, but that doesn’t automatically make someone a projectionist. There was so much more to it than that. But a good sign that someone at least had promise was the way they treated the film. Bruce handled film with a gentle but deft hand. He took care with his tasks. He respected the medium. Tony appreciated the way Bruce worked.

Bruce had just finished connecting the second reel of film to the first, when he paused his actions. “Do you smell that?”

Tony had been engrossed in watching Bruce in motion. He snapped out of his haze, and sniffed the air. “Yeah.”

The two followed the scent as it got stronger, and they stopped at one of the projectors that was currently running. The odor was powerful.

“The motor’s going.” Bruce said.

Tony nodded in reply.

Fortunately the movie that was playing had only a few minutes remaining. Sure enough, the motor completely stopped functioning during the credits. Thankfully it wasn’t one of those Marvel movies where everyone stays until the end of the credits. There were no customers left in the auditorium when the show stopped a couple of minutes prematurely.

“Well, if it had to happen during the presentation, that was the time to do it.” Bruce commented.

Tony couldn’t agree more with that assessment.

Tony had a spare motor on hand, so he and Bruce worked together to remove the old one and install the replacement. For only knowing each other for a couple of hours at best, the two worked surprisingly well together.

Yep, Tony thought, this guy’s a keeper.

When everything was back under control, Bruce offered to finish putting together the print that he’d started.

“Nah.” Tony began. “You’ve more than proved that you’re the right man for the job.”

They discussed a few more details about the position, and then Tony mentioned the salary.

Bruce had to fight to keep his job from dropping. “I’m sorry, did I hear you correctly?”

“You did.”

“Not that I won’t take it, but do you overpay all of the staff? I thought you were savvy businessman.”

“I can afford to give people a few extra bucks if they deserve it. I happen to be a great guy.” Tony stated matter-of-factly. “Besides, I don’t own this place to make money from it.” He stretched out his arms. “This place is my hobby. I profit in fun.”

Bruce amended his earlier assumptions of Tony. He definitely leaned arrogant, but Bruce was pretty sure he wasn’t a jerk.

“Well, I think we’ve got all the bases covered here. Is there anything else you’d like to ask or add?”

Bruce began to fidget with the cuff of his sleeve. He wasn’t sure just how much information about himself he should divulge. He’s made a lot of progress in controlling his temper, but he couldn’t rule out the possibility that Tony might be a witness to it at some point. Eh, what the hell. May as well be upfront about things, just to be safe. Bruce was nothing if not a brutally honest guy. “Um, I occasionally have a small problem with anger management. Never toward a person, though.” It was important for him to stress that. He’d only hurt inanimate objects, not a living soul. “It’s one of the reasons I was abroad for so long. I was searching for ways to control my temper naturally, instead of medically. But I can assure you that it won’t affect my work at all.”

Tony got the gist of what Bruce was trying to say. “I admire your desire to want to overcome it on your own. Pills aren’t necessarily the best answer for each case.” He glanced down, to the side, toward the ceiling. Anywhere but directly at Bruce. “If it’s any consolation, I’ve been known to have the occasional liquor management issue.” Tony’s eyes found then their way back to Bruce’s. “Also not directed toward any person, other than myself.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Everybody’s got something, I guess.”

Bruce felt much more at ease now that Tony not only didn’t judge him, but decided to share one of his own flaws. Yeah, definitely not a jerk.

Tony perked up. “Hey, if you find you need to let off a little steam, there’s usually a few xenon lamps waiting to be destroyed. Those are fun to blow up!” He pointed to a grey metal cabinet several feet away. “There’s a Kevlar vest, face mask, gloves…everything you need.”

“I really am back in civilization.” Bruce laughed. “The little mom and pop theaters I’ve worked at couldn’t afford those luxuries. I ended up buying myself a decent pair of safety goggles when I could manage to. They were easy enough to carry around with me.”

Tony tried to imagine the kinds of rundown places Bruce must have found himself. He felt bad for the guy. Bruce seemed like a really decent person. Whatever his troubles were, Tony didn’t understand why Bruce needed to wander the earth alone. He cracked a wide grin. “I assure you, you’ll want for nothing here.”

 

***

 

Tony was a busy man. Even though he loved his theater, he wasn’t able to spend a lot of time there. It was nearly a week before Bruce saw him again.

At 6 o’clock, Bruce was heading toward the lobby on his way out when he heard, “Hey Brucie, got a minute?” Tony was waving to him from his office.

Bruce stopped at the doorway. “Brucie? Really?”

Tony grinned. “I’m sorry, too informal? Would you prefer Mr. Banner Sir?”

Bruce sighed. “It’s fine.”

Tony enjoyed his little victory. “So how are things going? Are the other children playing nicely with you?”

“They’re nice kids, if that’s what you mean.” Bruce wondered if Tony joked around like this with everyone. “The ones that help out upstairs take it seriously and do a good job.”

“Glad to hear it. And they know that your word is law in the booth, so they’ll listen to you as well as they do me.”

Bruce wasn’t accustomed to someone having such immediate faith in him, but it felt pretty good. “Thanks.”

There was a moment of indecisive silence before Tony asked, “You maybe wanna go grab a bite to eat?”

Bruce surely hadn’t been anticipating a dinner invitation. But Tony was an interesting guy, and it would be nice to talk with someone his own age for a change. It wasn’t a very difficult decision. “Sure.”

 

The two ventured out onto the street, and Tony hailed a cab. Bruce let him pick the restaurant since he wasn’t very familiar with the area, and before too long they arrived. It was a nice place, but not too nice. Tony figured that Bruce really wouldn’t be up for someplace fancy. He wasn’t in the mood for that either.

So they ate, and talked, and it was quite amiable. Tony asked Bruce about his travels, and Bruce felt a kind of validation when Tony showed interest in his stories. Being a loner who didn’t spend a great deal of time in any one place, Bruce had grown accustomed to people being, at the very least, a little wary of him.

Tony described the difficulties of taking the reins of a billion-dollar empire at a young age. Most people had instantly wrote him off as a spoiled rich kid. He was relieved when Bruce expressed an understanding of how hard Tony had to work to prove himself a worthy successor.

They didn’t linger long after they finished their meal. Tony needed to stop back at the theater to do payroll for the week. Bruce was living a bit of a distance from work, so he wanted to get started on his way. At least that’s what they told each other.

The truth of the matter was more that each had started to feel a little awkward.

And as Tony sat in his little office at the theater, and Bruce got off the subway and was walking the rest of the way to his place, each pondered why they suddenly felt strange. Dinner was very pleasant. It seemed as though enjoyed each other’s company. They were interested in each other’s stories, and wanted to hear even more. None of these sounded like reasons to be uncomfortable around one another. But for the remainder of their evening, and the following day, and the few days that passed until they saw each other again, they thought a lot about each other.

And wondered why they were thinking so much about the other.

 

***

 

It was Monday morning when Tony next stopped in to his theater. It was a little too early for any of the staff to be there yet, but some of the lights were on so he knew Bruce was there. Tony headed upstairs, and started jangling his keys when he reached the top. The projection booth was a deathly quiet place when the machines weren’t running, and it’s a bit disconcerting when you’re accustomed to the clackety-clack of 24 frames per second. Couple that with the fact that projectionists aren’t used to having other people around. They work alone. You always need to give them a heads-up that you’re approaching, or you’ll scare the wits out of them.

Bruce had come in early to do some maintenance work on the projectors. He heard some noise in the distance, and looked up to see Tony sauntering toward him. Even though he hadn’t been working there for two weeks yet, he sensed that this wasn’t one of Tony’s normal appearances. “Didn’t expect to see you today.” he said when Tony was close enough.

“Had some free time and thought I’d drop in and give you a hand.” That's the reason Tony gave himself. He wasn’t quite buying it though.

Bruce knitted his eyebrows. “But isn’t this one of the tasks you’re paying me for? You mentioned that you do all of this yourself when you don’t have anyone knowledgeable enough on staff. I can handle it alone. You don’t need to bother yourself.” Though he enjoyed the solitude his job offered, Bruce found this unanticipated chance to hang around with Tony even more appealing. But he didn’t exactly want to announce that. He added half jokingly, “Unless you don’t trust me with your machines.”

No, no, Tony didn’t mean that at all. “Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. I wouldn’t have given you keys to the place if I didn’t trust you. I was just bored.”

Bruce snickered. “I didn’t think a guy with your means could get bored.”

“You’d be amazed.” Tony sighed dramatically. “It’s usually the people I’m surrounded with.”

“So I’m better company than those high society types?” Bruce would never believe that.

Tony smiled broadly “You’re more interesting than all of them put together. You, my friend, can carry on an intelligent conversation. You’ve got a killer sense of humor, and…” Tony caught himself before he went any further. He almost said that Bruce was easy on the eyes. That would have been a case of too-much-information. Bruce was a nice-looking guy, if you’re into messy curly hair, and a sort of natural dishevelment. But so what? There are lots of good-looking people around.

“And?” Bruce prompted.

Tony backpedaled. “Nothing, nevermind. My train of thought kinda derailed. So anyway, whatcha got for me?”

Did Bruce do something wrong? Maybe he shouldn’t have teased Tony about his wealth. After all, they haven’t known each other that long. But Tony seemed to joke about everything so it was easy to follow suit. “Well, the middle platter on number three needs to be re-timed, if you wanna take look at it.” He canted his head toward the projector he was standing next to. “This one has a very minor oil leak. I’m thinking that maybe the person who changed the oil last didn’t put the cover back on correctly.” Bruce smirked.

Tony feigned umbrage, placing his hand over his heart. “You wound me. But I’ll go look at that platter anyway.” He flashed Bruce a brilliant grin, and meandered off.

And there they were, in their little groove. Each of them was perfectly content puttering around that projection booth, playing with the machines. Of course to any third party who might have stumbled upon the scene, it would have been clear that Bruce and Tony were actually playing with each other. The machinery around them just provided an excuse.

From then on Tony began to drop by the theater a lot more often than was necessary. It didn’t take long for the staff to catch on that Tony was really there just to see Bruce. The general consensus was overwhelmingly positive. They liked their boss, so they wanted to see him happy. And everyone liked Bruce, and thought he was a good match for Tony. A couple of the girls were especially enamored with the idea of Tony and Bruce being a couple, so whenever there was information they deemed pertinent, they went out of their way to relay it to whichever man needed to hear it.

For example, there was the time Bruce had gone down to the concession stand to refill his beverage, which happened to be 7-Up. Lindsay, a spunky sixteen year old, casually mentioned that Mr. Stark likes root beer.

“Well that’s…random.” a confused Bruce replied.

Over time, Bruce also learned that their boss didn’t like to be handed things, loves junk food even though he eats at fancy restaurants a lot, and is a coffee-holic. Whereas Tony became privy to the likes of the fact that Bruce prefers tea over coffee, meditates every day, doesn’t like to go out much, and prefers dressing down to dressing up. And there were many more Tony and Bruce Fun Facts to follow.

A puzzled Tony and Bruce could only mutter to themselves, “Kids these days.”

 

***

 

It was late one evening. The rest of the staff had gone home, and Bruce and Tony were waiting for the last movie to finish so they could lock up. Tony had stopped in about an hour earlier, on his way home from dinner with some business associates. They hadn’t even realized how much time had already passed. The two had been sitting in the dimly lit booth, talking about this and that. It was so easy for them to lose track of the minutes when they became lost in conversation.

“How about I give you a ride home.” Tony offered out of nowhere.

Though Bruce would have much preferred it to his normal routine, he felt he should decline. “That would be nice, but it’s kind of out of the way. I don’t wanna put you out.”

“Nonsense. I like to drive, and I’m sure I could get you there faster.”

“But it’s late.” Bruce tried halfheartedly.

“Another reason to accept. Really, it’s no trouble at all.”

Honestly, neither man was relishing the idea of going to their respective homes all alone once again.

It had never been much of a problem for Tony, since he’d never had to be at a loss for companionship if he so desired. But lately that kind of lifestyle had been leaving him unfulfilled. It seemed after Bruce showed up, the contrast between the quality of the time Tony spent with him, compared with most of the other people who filled his days, was exceptionally superior. Tony had only just begun to notice that he’d been missing something in his life, and now it seemed that the something may have arrived in his office one recent afternoon. You may not know what you’ve got until its gone, but just as many times, you may not know what you need until it appears in front of you.

On the other hand, Bruce had become accustomed to solitude. A conscious choice, but one made out of necessity instead of desire. He’d struggled for years with letting his emotions get the best of him. Traumatic childhood events turned his fear into an anger that had threatened to consume him. So he ran. Ran from the handful of people left in the world that he gave a damn about, in an effort to spare them his eruptions. With no set path to follow, he wandered wherever the winds lead him. Experiencing people and places he never would have had he stayed put worked wonders in helping Bruce learn about himself and his capabilities. It might always be a struggle to maintain a peaceful attitude, but he gained wisdom. And a little wisdom goes a long way.

“Well, if you really want to.” Bruce conceded.

“I really do.”

 

Bruce may have been right that the place where he was staying was a bit far, but Tony was also correct when he said he could get there faster. They turned onto the road where Bruce lived, and after a few minutes he told Tony to slow down. “This is it coming up on the left.”

Tony saw the sign. “You live in a motel?” He tried not to sound as appalled as he was.

“For the time being.”

Tony pulled the car in, parked in front of Bruce’s room, and turned off the ignition. “So, you gonna invite me in?”

“You didn’t give me the chance.”

Tony huffed. “You always have a comeback, don’t you. It’s getting a little annoying.” He teased, but with a certain amount of affection.

Bruce smiled. “Now you know what it feels like. Come on.” He motioned for Tony to follow.

 

Bruce unlocked the door to his room, and flipped on the light. He set his keys on the table, and walked over to the refrigerator. “Would you like some…” He couldn’t remember how many days ago he’d opened the orange juice. “…tea? Sorry, I don’t have many guests.”

Meanwhile Tony had taken stock of his surroundings, such that they were. He could either sit on one of the two chairs in Bruce’s kitchenette, or on the bed. By the time Bruce had turned around from the fridge, Tony had already kicked off his shoes and was sprawled out on the bed, fingers laced behind his head. He wrinkled his nose at the beverage selection. “No thanks, I’m good.”

Bruce proceeded to take one of the chairs from the table and set it closer to the bed. He sat down, using the bed as an ottoman.

Tony tended to be blunt when there was something important on his mind. And in a short period of time it seemed that Bruce had become very important to Tony. Maybe he was reading more into it than might actually be there, but he decided to test the waters regardless. And by test, he means fling himself right in. “So, we gonna talk about this?”

“Talk about what?”

“Us.”

“Is there an 'us'?” Bruce was pretty sure he knew what Tony was getting at, at least he hoped he was on the right track or he was headed for a world of embarrassment.

“Do you want there to be?” Tony had already set himself up to be hella disappointed if this conversation didn’t go as he thought it might. “Cuz I do.”

Bruce dropped his gaze to his hands which were folded in his lap. He wasn’t sure what to think. He was having such a good time hanging out with Tony. But could he really be interested in someone like Bruce? Though he was happy to have him as a friend, a part of Bruce wouldn’t mind if Tony wanted to try little more. But maybe Tony was still joking around. “Do you think it’s proper to proposition one of your staff?”

Tony smiled. “Not staff, I’m promoting you to boyfriend.”

Bruce looked up and quirked an eyebrow. “Does this promotion come with a raise?”

Tony smirked. “Something should raise, if I play my cards right.”

“Oh, so now you wanna play cards?” Bruce joked. He sincerely hoped that he wasn’t blushing. He was a grown man. But sadly, one that wasn’t accustomed to flirting.

Seemed that patience was not his virtue tonight. Tony sat up and crawled across the bed till he was face-to-face with Bruce. “Shut up and let me kiss you.”

 

Tony spent the night with Bruce in the little motel room. Raises were indeed given and accepted. And they weren’t the type that was associated with any job that either of them had ever had.

 

They woke in the morning in an odd mishmash of sheets and limbs, but they were comfortable and content.

Tony spoke first. “Mornin’. Sleep okay?”

Bruce rolled over onto his back and stretched. “Very well actually.”

But human nature being what it is, a sliver of doubt began to creep over each of them. Neither realized that they were sharing the same uncertainties. They both wanted this to work, but were afraid to want it. Could it really be this simple? To just meet someone, and click with them? It felt natural and easy, which scared the heck out of them. That’s not how either of their lives had worked up until now, so why should it suddenly start to? 

But on the other hand, could the fact that nothing had ever played out this way for either of them in the past be a sign that what they were experiencing now was something significant?

Both of them fervently desired this particular theory to turn out to be true.

“It was good.” Tony referenced the previous night’s activities.

Bruce nodded.

“The whole thing’s been good. You know, since you got here.”

“Yeah. Better than I thought it might. And I certainly wasn’t expecting this.” A relationship hadn't been anywhere on his radar. He didn’t want to entertain the thought of one until he felt he had a better grip on his emotions. And even after clearing that hurdle, he knew it would take a unique person. Someone that Bruce was confident enough could handle him, without being taken down with him when things got rough.

Tony had a fleeting moment of concern that maybe this was too much too soon. Maybe he should keep it casual. But he just didn’t have the will to do so. He’d rather walk off the cliff and see if Bruce would follow. He spent far too much of his life playing a part. He just wanted to know if someone cared when he wasn’t. He sighed. “I wish I’d met you twenty years ago. Even ten.”

It was a sweet thought, but fate usually has its reasons. Bruce propped himself up on an elbow. “Maybe we needed to walk our paths alone up to this point, so that would we could become the people we are today. Back then we might not have realized that we…I don’t know…needed each other?”

His mussed up hair, and not-quite-alert-yet eyes would have been enough to do him in, but Bruce's words sealed the deal. Tony was having massive feelings now. Not entirely proficient in dealing with such emotions, he blurted out “Move in with me.”

Bruce was momentarily startled, then chuckled. “I think it’s a little too soon for that. Not that I don’t want to spend as much time as possible with you, but living together is a drastic change.”

Tony shook his head. “That’s not what I meant exactly. See, I live not too far from theater.”

“I’ve seen the building. Hard to miss it.” Bruce offered. 

Yeah, well, most of it is offices and such. But I live on the top floor, and the two floors beneath me are all suites. I want you to stay in one of those. So you wouldn’t be living with me per se. You be living near me.”

“One floor away.” Bruce countered.

“Still not with me.” Tony reminded. “Look, my assistant lives in one, and my friend uses another when he’s in from the West Coast. All the others are empty. You wouldn’t be imposing or putting anyone out.”

“Are you sure it’s not because you’d be embarrassed by where your boyfriend lives?” Bruce was only half serious.

Now Tony propped himself up. His carefree expression hardened, and his tone grew serious. “I’m not now, nor will I ever be, ashamed of you in any way. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and continue to live here or anywhere else you’re comfortable.” He quieted. “I just wanted to help.”

Bruce felt like a first-class lout. “I didn’t mean it like that, I swear. I’m sorry. I think I was just a little overwhelmed by the offer.”

“So you’ll come and take a look later?” Tony was hopeful.

“Is after work okay?”

Tony was much happier now. “You bet. And speaking of work,” he checked his watch, “we better get a move on. Come on, I’ll drop you off at the theater.”

They grudgingly climbed out of bed. As Bruce headed to the shower, a thought occurred. “Maybe you’d better drop me off a block away. We don’t want to give the kids at the theater the wrong impression.”

“I’m the one doing the walk of shame here in yesterday’s clothes.” Tony scoffed. “And these are the same kids who’ve been treating me to freaky bits of trivia about you for the past three weeks!”

Bruce’s eyes popped. “They do that to you too?”

Tony shook his head, amused. “I think they were well aware that you and I were in the process of becoming a thing.”

In mild disbelief Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “They probably knew before we did.”

“Wouldn’t doubt it for a second.”

 

When Tony and Bruce pulled up to the theater there were already a couple of staff members waiting outside for someone with keys to show up. The implications of it being morning, and Tony giving Bruce a ride to work, were not lost on them. They said their good mornings to Bruce, and waved to Tony.

At least the girls had the presence of mind to wait until Tony drove off, and Bruce was fumbling with his keys, before they gave each other a high five.


End file.
